Police await DNA data in slaying

Sightings of woman's car around time of death sought

Dec. 5, 2012

Laurie Ferguson

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Poughkeepsie Journal

Whom to call

Anyone with information on the death of Staatsburg resident Laurie Ferguson may call state police at 845-677-7300 or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 866-313-TIPS (866-313-8477).

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STAATSBURG — Authorities are processing DNA evidence and continue to chase down leads in the homicide investigation of resident Laurie Ferguson.

Ferguson, 67, was found dead of stab wounds in her mobile home on Thanksgiving.

Police are working on forensics and phone records, said Lt. James Murphy of the state police at Rhinebeck. The forensics evidence includes fingerprints, which can be processed relatively quickly, he said.

“But when we recover a print,” Murphy said, “we still have to compare it to another fingerprint.”

He said a databank search can help with that, or, if there is a suspect, police might obtain a copy of that person’s fingerprint card from a previous arresting agency.

“So that moves relatively quickly, but the DNA analysis, that could take some time,” he said.

Murphy said that DNA analysis alone can take about a week and that the police lab in Albany serves the entire state, so there is likely a wait for processing.

“This isn’t the only homicide in the state, I’m sorry to say,” Murphy said.

The Albany lab does triage evidence, he said, so, for example, a homicide will jump ahead of a robbery.

Murphy said police are particularly interested in hearing whether anyone saw Ferguson’s gray Saturn Ion operated between the night of Wednesday, Nov. 21, through Thanksgiving until the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 23, when police recovered the car by the Staatsburg Reservoir.